wiggle dress

Hello! I am happy to finally share a new me-made item! It has been a loooong while since I completed my last item, because I had been experimenting with vintage patterns.

This is made from the vintage pattern Butterick 2137 – view C. It is not the first time I made a vintage pattern but since the last time, I have gotten more picky with getting the right fit, and took a long time trying to adjust the pattern pieces to fit me. All in all, with the multiple times dissecting /retaping the pattern/muslin testing, etc. and it took 4 weekends to complete.

My high bust measurement is closest to those of a Size 12 in vintage, and this pattern I own happens to be a Size 12! According to the measurements, I should add more width to the bust and waist on a Size 12, but when I test-made a muslin without any changes, the bust was very roomy already (or the pattern has big armholes?)! I already read about the 50s and early 60s patterns having a larger bust, but one more thing I notice (and I haven’t found confirmation on the internet) is that the patterns are also made to have more room in the bodice back than modern patterns? I don’t know if this is just me… The vintage patterns I have worked with seem slightly curved in the centre back seams (which I assume is to provide more room at the back) rather than a relatively straight line I see in the modern patterns I have used. I ended up straightening the back seam and decreasing the width of the bust line (instead of doing SBA), but I am not sure if this is the correct way to go about decreasing back /bust ease. If you have any tips on this issue, please let me know:-)

Despite all the time tweaking the pattern and the two muslins, the fit is not very good. As you can see from the pictures fabric is pulling in different directions since I decreased a bit too much at the bust and also at waist, while the tummy part looks roomy.

I like the kick-pleat detail!

I had in my mind a below-the-knee length from the start – but was not sure if it will be a flattering look on me. In trying to figure out skirt length, I came across this enlightening post on how to calculate your ideal skirt length! Very fascinating and interesting to see there is math behind it:-) According to the post, a skirt length slightly above the knee works best for me, and it explains why I tend to choose skirts of that length! However, in the end, for this project I decided to stick to the below-the-knee length I had planned, for some variety in my closet. ***After looking at the pictures again I think I will hack off a bit more length!***

The neck is a little high – next time I would like to try a lower neck version of this dress.

The fabric is a lightweight Italian grey wool suiting I bought at the closing sale of Marunan fabric store in Shibuya. It has a beautiful sheen and is lightweight enough for a dress. The lining is Bemberg rayon. They are both from my stash:-)

This is my sketch in Fashionary – I find it very useful not only for planning fabrics /projects, but also to keep track of the many changes to the pattern I make as long as how long each project takes me.

I love buying vintage patterns and while I am not very satisfied with the fit of this project, I am happy I finished it because there are still many vintage patterns I want to test!

Very nice classic dress! I don’t think the fit’s so bad, since these kind of “wiggle” dresses should be tight and pulling on you a bit for that naughty 50’s look. If you decide to make it again, just give it a tiny bit more room. Yes, the bust sizes were bigger back then, because women were wearing bullet bras!